1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to apparatus for cleaning electric shavers.
2. Description of Prior Art
Electric shavers are widely used by men and women and usually, but not necessarily, powered by batteries. Most razors are not normally totally waterproof and anyway cannot be conveniently cleaned by being submerging in water. Even where the razors are waterproof, they cannot be comprehensively cleaned without disassembling the razor to some extent. At present, the cutting assemblies and hair grills require manual brushing and washing. Even where all the surfaces to be cleaned can be reached by brushing, the parts are often intricate and mechanically relatively delicate and so easily bent or otherwise damaged. Apart from this, cleaning is tedious and time consuming.
It is an object of the invention to overcome or at least reduce this problem.
According to the invention there is provided a cleaning apparatus for electric shaver components comprising an open topped cleaning compartment, a removable basket that fits inside the container for supporting the components, a pump that pumps cleaning liquid from a reservoir into the compartment, a liquid return flow path connecting the compartment to the reservoir and a debris collector to remove debris carried in the liquid returning to the reservoir.
Preferably, a liquid agitator is mounted in the cleaning compartment below the basket.
The agitator may be an air bubble generator.
The bubble generator may comprise a sieve plate.
The sieve plate may be in the form of a cone having a central region that allows air to enter the cleaning compartment.
The sieve plate may have a peripheral region through which cleaning liquid from the pump can pass into the cleaning compartment.
The liquid return flow path may have an upward facing valve outlet in the compartment, and the apparatus include a valve closure stopper loosely mechanically coupled to a compartment lid that fits down upon and closes off the valve outlet when the lid is closed over the top of the compartment.
The reservoir may have two chambers formed with a dividing wall comprising a filter that is positioned between a liquid inlet port and a liquid outlet port of the reservoir.